The strange thing about
the Octavio Dotel signing is that it takes the load off Scott Linebrink's shoulders in one way, but adds a lot of pressure in another.
Linebrink, who served as a setup man extraordinaire in decline for the Padres and Brewers last year, will have some help getting the game to Bobby Jenks -- help that isn't Mike MacDougal, anyway. Between adjusting to the American League and pitching in U.S. Cellular, Linebrink already has a full plate. He and Dotel should be able to work well together.
On the other hand, Linebrink may be held up to a higher standard now, because the contract he signed seems even harder to swallow in light of Dotel's deal. The cash never was the issue, because he'll be making $1 million less than Dotel, but the length of the contract and the no-trade clause make him stick out like Andy Sisco in
a race car bed.
Reliever |
Team |
Contract |
| Scott Linebrink |
CHW |
4 yr, $19M |
| Octavio Dotel |
CHW |
2 yrs, $11M |
| Doug Brocail |
HOU |
1 yr, $2.5M |
| Francisco Cordero |
CIN |
4 yrs, $46M |
| Kazuo Fukumori |
TEX |
2 yrs, $3M |
| Eric Gagne |
MIL |
1 yr, $10M |
| LaTroy Hawkins |
NYY |
1 yr, $3.75M |
| M. Kobayashi |
CLE |
2 yrs, $6.5M |
| Ron Mahay |
KC |
2 yrs, $8M |
| Troy Percival |
TB |
2 yrs, $8M |
| David Riske |
MIL |
3 yrs, $13M |
| Mariano Rivera |
NYY |
3 yrs, $45M |
| Mike Timlin |
BOS |
1 yr, $3M |
| Luis Vizcaino |
COL |
2 yrs, $7.5M |
| Matt Wise |
NYM |
1 yr, $1.2M |
| Kerry Wood |
CHC |
1 yr, $4.2M |
| Yasuhiko Yabuta |
KC |
2 yrs, $6M |
His contract isn't conspicuous only against Dotel's, but against the contracts signed by
the entire reliever free agent class. I've listed the most prominent signings to the right.
There are only three other deals that stand out -- Mariano Rivera, Coco Cordero and Eric Gagne. Cordero is hitting his stride as a reliever, and is expected to be a shut-down closer. Rivera is the benefactor of a unique set of circumstances. The Brewers hope they got the Texas Gagne without the Mitchell Report baggage for their $10 million, but at least it's only for a year.
The rest are fairly interchangeable. You have your solid middle relievers (David Riske, Luis Vizcaino, Ron Mahay), rebound candidates (Matt Wise, Kerry Wood, Troy Percival), declining vets with something left in the tank (LaTroy Hawkins, Doug Brocail, Mike Timlin) and imports (Yasuhiko Yabuta, Kazuo Fukumori, Masahide Kobayashi).
Dotel fits squarely into the second group, and doesn't particularly stick out. Linebrink fits in the first, but the problem is that he's getting paid the most -- not only in terms of salary, but in years. Cordero was the only other reliever to receive a four-year contract, and he saved 44 games last year while striking out 86 in 63 1/3 innings.
Another name soon to be added certainly won't make the Linebrink contract any more attractive.
Jeremy Affeldt and the Cincinnati Reds reached a preliminary agreement for one year and $3 million with incentives. Compare the two last year:
| |
G |
W-L |
ERA |
IP |
H |
HR |
BB |
K |
| Linebrink |
71 |
5-6 |
3.71 |
70.1 |
68 |
12 |
25 |
50 |
| Affeldt |
75 |
4-3 |
3.51 |
59 |
47 |
3 |
33 |
46 |
It's not an even comparison -- it's unfair to Linebrink because Affeldt, a lefty, was inserted in more matchup situations and wasn't required to finish innings. On the other hand, Affeldt survived in a much, much tougher ballpark (Coors Field, compared to Petco Park) that greatly affected his best pitch (the curve).
For the same contract, I'd take Linebrink without hesitation. But when factoring in that Affeldt is three years younger and will get a crack at the starting rotation, is the difference really worth three years? That doesn't seem right to me.
Then there's the complete no-trade clause. Get this: Linebrink is the only one of the group to receive such a provision for the length of his contract.
Cross-checking the above list with
Cot's Baseball Contracts, Cordero has a full no-trade clause for the first two years and a partial list for the second two, Rivera and Timlin are 10-and-5 guys, and the rest received no protection whatsoever.
And on top of it all, Linebrink cost the Sox a second-round pick in the 2008 draft.
That signing caught everybody off-guard when it went down Nov. 22.
Rival executives questioned the move and worried that Kenny Williams set the market's bar far too high. Their fears weren't realized, but ours very well could be. That Dotel took a reasonable deal three months into free agency for half the length, without trade protection and costing the Sox a pick makes the Linebrink contract look all the more like a panic move.
The season hasn't started, so Linebrink could have the last laugh at the end of this season. Unfortunately, it's the three years after 2008 that pose the greatest concern, one that won't be alleviated any time soon.